What Could Have Been
by Angel Sciuto
Summary: An Alternate Universe in which Voldemort attempts a takeover politically rather than with murder. Death Eaters are all politicians. A scandal prevents his political rise to power the year Harry is born, meaning James, Lily and everyone else are free to live their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Plans.**

It was just before exams in their 7th year. Everyone was madly studying. One group of students were sitting in the sun on the hill above the lake under a huge elder tree. Textbooks were strewn everywhere with quills and rolls of parchment in between. In a break between studying, the group began talking about life after school. It was fast approaching. Before they knew it they were going to be graduates and looking for employment.

"What's everyone's plans for after school?" A tall, black-haired, bespectacled boy asked. The boy across from him answered first.  
"Some kind of Ministry job. Maybe as an Auror." The boy had short brown hair and a round face. "Also married to the girl of my dreams and starting a family." He looked lovingly at the girl sitting next to him. She had dark spiky hair and mischievous eyes.  
"Who says I want a family? Or you Frankie?" she giggled. Frankie rolled his eyes.

"What about you Arthur?" the dark-haired boy asked. A red-headed boy looked thoughtful for a moment.  
"I'm not sure. Maybe something in the Muggle world. All I know is I hope Molly will be with me." Arthur said with a grin.

"And a couple of children." Molly added with a smile.

"Your turn Moony." the dark haired boy said. Moony smiled.

"I want to be a teacher. Charms maybe, or Defence Against the Dark Arts." The boy to Moony's left snorted.  
"You haven't had enough of school after seven years? I know I have. Don't have any clue what I'm going to do but all I know is me, Prongs and Moony are going to be best friends forever."

"That's no way to live Sirius," the red-head sitting next to him said. "You should have some idea of what you want to do." Sirius shrugged.

"Kinda want to open an auto mechanic shop. But I'm no good at organising that kind of thing."

"Maybe you and I could do it together Padfoot." the black haired boy said excitedly. "It would be awesome. We could work together everyday."

"See?" said Sirius. "I knew Prongs would come with something."  
Everyone laughed.

"What about you Lily?" Molly asked.

"Well," Lily said tentatively. "I've always wanted to open my own cafe. In London. For muggles and wizards alike. With a special menu and spells so that the muggles don't notice anything they shouldn't see."

"If you need a chef I could help you." said the spiky haired girl.  
"Oh Alice that would be brilliant." Lily said, her green eyes shining.  
"I could help as a waitress, if you want." Molly said timidly. Lily nodded enthusiastically.

"Definitely. My two best friends helping me run the cafe of my dreams."

They heard a bell ring and scrambled to collect their things and get to class. Prongs smiled to himself, glad that all of his friends had good plans for after school. He vowed to himself he was going to do whatever he could to bring Lily's dream to life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Graduation.**

The day had finally come. Graduation. Exams had come and gone. Results would be sent over the summer by owls. But today they were graduating. Everyone was in special graduation robes the colour of their house. There were chairs and a stage set up next to the lake. Hundreds of chairs for parents and families of the students. Each house had their own allotment of seats. The rest of the school sat at the back with the graduating students at the front close to the stage.

As the ceremony started, each house's graduating students were called up on stage. They were handed a roll of parchment signifying their completion of schooling at Hogwarts.

After the ceremony, there was a banquet for the students and families in the Great Hall, followed by raucous parties in each of the common rooms by the 7th years.

A few days later everyone piled onto the Hogwarts Express, eager to get home for the summer.

In the middle of that summer there were three engagement parties. Frank and Alice kicked things off, Arthur and Molly soon after and as the summer came to a close, Lily and James celebrated theirs.

By Christmas that year, Lily had arranged for a loan with the muggle bank in London. She had found the perfect place to open her cafe and decided to get a loan to finance it. She had already arranged with the Ministry for an official to cast the needed spells. Molly and Alice had helped to secure suppliers, both muggle and wizard, and had helped set up both a muggle bank account and a Gringotts bank account for the cafe. If things kept moving as smoothly as they were the cafe would be open in no time.

James and Sirius, meanwhile, had found a mechanic that was going out of business and arranged for a loan to buy the business. They had started renovating the building and would be ready to open by the start of January. Everything was going according to plan.


End file.
